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CHINESE  STUDENTS’  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 
IN  NORTH  AMERICA 


II 

SERVICE 


Central  Office 

347  Madison  Avenue,  New  York 
Published,  August,  1922 


SERVICE 


“  I  came  to  serve,  not  to  be  served  ” — thus  spoke  one 
who,  more  than  any  other  person  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  has  elevated  the  moral  plane  of  man’s  behavior 
toward  his  fellows  and  ennobled  and  glorified  unselfish 
service  as  the  ideal  of  worthy  human  life.  Jesus’  words 
are  a  constant  challenge  as  well  as  inspiration  to  every 
red-blooded  Christian  who  desires  not  merely  to  be 
a  passive  recipient  of  the  benefits  of  others’  labor  but  also 
an  active  contributor  to  the  sum  total  of  human 
happiness. 

SERVICE  is  the  raison  d’etre  of  the  C.  S.  C.  A.  It  acts 
as  the  channel  through  which  practical  service  is  both 
rendered  and  received,  whereby  Christian  fellowship  is 
made  real  by  mutual  helpfulness  and  personality  enriched 
by  self-expression. 

To  illustrate  how  the  C.  S.  C.  A.  works  as  a  service 
exchange,  contributing  definitely  to  the  welfare  of  our 
students  as  well  as  opening  oportunities  to  them  for 
serving  others,  the  following  suggestions  are  made  : 

I.  Practical  Assistance 

1.  To  Students  Returning  Home.  Our  Transportation 
Department  is  ready  to  help  them  secure  railway  and 
steamship  reservations,  passports,  etc.,  and  in  other  ways 
to  facilitate  their  journey. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  notify  the  Association  secretary  at 
the  port  of  arrival  in  China  to  meet  the  returning  student 
and  help  him  in  regard  to  his  baggage,  custom  examination, 
hotel,  etc.  All  that  is  required  is  an  advance  notice  to  us. 

2.  To  Those  Going  to  Europe.  Quite  a  number  of  our 
students  go  to  Europe  every  year  for  advanced  education. 
We  are  in  close  touch  with  the  national  student 
organizations  in  nearly  all  European  countries.  We  can 
supply  letters  of  introduction  which  may  result,  on  the  one 
hand,  in  the  saving  of  much  trouble,  and,  on  the  other,  the 
placing  of  friendly  assistance  at  their  disposal  not  otherwise 
easily  obtainable. 


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3.  To  New  Student*  Coming  to  America.  Our  officers 
and  Secretaries  at  San  Francisco,  Chicago  and  New  York 
are  always  glad  to  meet  our  new  students  on  their  arrival 
and  help  them  proceed  on  their  way  to  their  destinations. 
In  co-operation  with  other  student  organizations,  enter¬ 
tainments  and  receptions  are  arranged  for  them  at  the  big 
cities. 

We  also  maintain  at  the  Central  Office  in  New  York  an 
Information  Bureau  for  students  concerning  colleges, 
courses  of  study,  living  expense,  etc.  This  bureau  also 
supplies  information  about  Christian  missionary  work  in 
China. 

4.  To  Students  Wishing  to  Communicate  With  China. 
Frequently  for  urgent  reasons  we  are  called  upon  to  help 
students  to  communicate  with  their  homes  in  China, 
especially  those  in  the  interior.  Likewise  requests  some¬ 
times  come  to  us  from  China  to  locate  certain  students  in 
this  country.  We  are  able  to  give  this  help  through  the 
co-operation  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  churches  in  China. 

5.  To  Students  Making  Purchases.  When  students 
are  in  need  of  trunks,  suits,  suitcases,  athletic  goods,  etc., 
our  Purchasing  Department  may  be  able  to  help  them  get 
what  they  want  at  considerable  saving  of  money,  through 
securing  discounts. 

6.  To  Students  Looking  For  Homes  Or  Employment. 
As  far  as  possible  we  gladly  help  students  to  find 
employment,  either  for  practical  experience  or  for 
financial  need.  We  also  help  them  secure  suitable 
lodging. 


II.  Fellowship 

Under  this  heading  are  grouped  other  forms  of  service 
which  are  less  material  than  those  included  in  Group  I, 
but  nonetheless  substantial  and  real. 

1.  Promotion  of  Friendly  Relationship.  Friendly  Re¬ 
lations  between  Chinese  and  American  students  are  much 
to  be  desired  though  not  always  easily  attained.  Each 
group  would  be  benefited  by  association  with  the  other  but 
often  the  association  does  not  come  to  pass  owing  to  the 
lack  of  means  of  contact.  The  C.  S.  C.  A.,  through  its 
local  units  and  in  co-operation  with  the  Committee  on 
Friendly  Relations  Among  Foreign  Students,  is  in  a  posi¬ 
tion  to  bring  our  students  in  touch  with  American  friends 


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and  to  introduce  them  to  Christian  homes  and  to  build  up 
that  fellowship  between  Chinese  and  Americans,  which  is 
of  value  not  only  to  the  individuals  concerned  but  also  to 
the  two  nations. 

2.  Making  Friends  W ith  New  Students.  A  new  student 
often  finds  himself  friendless  and  lonely  in  a  strange  place 
and  nothing  can  mean  more  to  him  than  a  friendly  hand¬ 
shake  from  a  fellow  student  who  has  been  there  before  him. 
Our  local  units — the  “friendly  circles  ” — will  make  special 
efforts  to  befriend  new  students,  to  introduce  them  to 
other  students  and  make  them  feel  at  home  in  their  new 
environment. 

3  Organization  of  Discussion  and  Study  Groups. 
Study  groups  are  generally  organized  in  connection  with 
the  local  units  to  afford  an  opportunity  for  the  study  of 
the  problems,  social,  political,  religious,  etc.,  which 
confront  us  as  citizens  of  China  and  for  the  cultivation  of 
the  scientific  attitude  of  mind.  The  officers  of  the 
departments  and  the  secretaries  visit  the  local  units  during 
the  year  and  render  considerable  assistance  in  this  matter. 

4.  Summer  Student  Conferences.  With  the  help  of  the 
Committee  on  Friendly  Relations  we  are  able  to  invite 
our  students  to  go  to  Silver  Bay,  New  York;  Lake  Geneva, 
Wisconsin  ;  Asilomar,  Californa  :  Seabeck,  Washington  ; 
Hollister,  Missouri ;  Estes  Park,  Colorado ;  and  Blue 
Ridge,  North  Carolina,  for  a  week  or  ten  days  of  rest, 
recreation  and  profitable  fellowship  when  the  student 
conferences  are  held  in  the  summer  months.  This 
furnishes  the  opportunity  for  our  students  to  meet 
representatives  from  the  different  colleges  and  to  see 
Christian  America  at  its  best. 

5.  Publications.  Besides  frequent  bulletins,  the  As¬ 
sociation  publishes  a  periodical  paper  called  “Fellowship 
Notes”  which  serves  as  the  official  organ  for  the  circula¬ 
tion  of  information  abont  the  activities  of  the  Association 
and  is  sent  to  members  and  friends  free.  Members  can 
co-operate  by  gathering  and  sending  in  news  concerning 
groups  and  individuals. 

6.  Supplying  Speakers.  The  Association  co-operating 
with  the  local  units  will  supply  speakers  for  churches  and 
meetings  where  an  accurate  presentation  of  facts  about 


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China  is  needed.  In  this  work  the  Chinese  students  can 
be  of  great  service  to  promote  better  understanding  of 
China  on  the  part  of  the  American  people. 

7.  Promoting  the  Welfare  of  Our  Compatriots.  There 
are  many  Chinese  in  the  United  States  and  in  Canada  in 
business  and  other  occupations,  who  do  not  have  the 
same  opportunities  and  privileges  that  the  student  enjoys. 
Naturally  he  feels  it  his  duty  to  do  what  he  can  for  their 
welfare.  Educational  classes  are  conducted  for  them  at 
various  places,  and  in  large  cities  like  San  Francisco, 
Chicago,  Boston,  and  New  York  in  the  United  States,  and 
Vancouver,  Victoria,  Winnipeg,  and  Calgary  in  Canada’ 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  been  organized.  These  activities 
merit  our  generous  support,  not  only  in  money  but  in 
personal  assistance. 

III.  Organization 

1.  Central  Board  and  Departments.  For  effective 
operation  the  C.  S.  C.  A.  is  divided  into  four  departments 
— the  Women’s,  the  Eastern,  the  Mid-Western  and  the 
Western — each  with  its  own  elected  officers.  The 
members  in  each  locality  form  the  local  unit,  the  “  friend¬ 
ly  circle.  ”  The  affairs  of  the  Association  are  directed  by 
the  Central  Executive  Board,  elected  by  and  out  of  the 
officers  of  the  departments. 

2.  Employed  secretaries.  There  is  a  general  secretary 
with  headquarters  in  New  York,  and  field  secretaries 
located  in  different  cities.  Half  of  their  time  is  spent  in 
traveling  and  visiting  the  colleges  where  our  students  are. 
They  hold  themselves  ready  for  any  service  that  they  can 
render  to  our  students,  and  anyone  needing  their  service 
should  not  hesitate  to  let  them  know. 

3.  Affiliation.  Tho  Association  is  affiliated  with  the 
Committee  on  Friendly  Relations  Among  Foreign  Stu¬ 
dents  of  the  International  Committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.’s 
of  North  America,  the  National  Committee  of  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  in  China,  the  Chinese  Students’  Christian  Union  of 
Great  Britain  and  the  Chinese  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  France.  Its 
own  field  of  service  is  the  United  States  and  Canada.  It 
works  in  close  co-operation  with  the  mission  boards, 
churches,  college  Christian  associations,  and  kindred 
organizations. 


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4.  Meaning  of  Membership.  Membership  is  open  to 
both  Chinese  students  and  American  friends.  It  means 
two  things — (I)  Approval  of  the  aim  and  work  of  the 
Association  and  (2)  purpose  to  co-operate  for  the  fulfill¬ 
ment  of  the  same. 


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